Opinion columnist Ray Hackett blogs about elections, local issues and politics in the region.

We’re clearly doing something right

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By Ray Hackett

Opinion columnist Ray Hackett blogs about elections, local issues and politics in the region.

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By RAY HACKETT

May 26, 2013
12:01 a.m.

Vice President Joe Biden said something to the graduating cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy during his commencement speech Wednesday that resonated with me, and I felt that it well worth repeating this Memorial Day weekend.

He said that four years ago, each of the graduating cadets had options. They were among the brightest high school graduates in the country, the cream of the crop with futures limited only by their own imagination.

Probably all of them received many college acceptance letters from some of the finest educational institutions in the country. But they chose the academy.

No, chose is not the right word. They made a commitment to an obligation that extends beyond the four years of classroom study. They didn’t just choose a school; they chose service and duty to country.

As did this year’s graduating classes at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

In fact, every year, the top high school graduates in the country compete for a spot at one of the four military academies, and in doing so they know there is also an obligation. And they understood the challenge, the risks and the dangers associated with that obligation.

This weekend, we will pay tribute to the many who came before them, who faced those same challenges, risks and dangers, and who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this country and the values on which it was built.

As a nation we are fortunate that every generation has stepped forward and answered the call of duty. This year’s graduates are not special, but rather just the next generation in line to make that commitment.

That’s neither luck nor accident.

I cannot recall a time when any of the four military academies came up short of applications for entrance. Every year the competition to be part of the incoming class is robust and plentiful — and most importantly, filled with young men and women who could have gone anywhere they wanted.

But they chose commitment because in their lives they were instilled and inspired by the values of service and duty. No doubt it started with the influence of parents and grandparents, many of whom probably, and proudly, served as well. For some it’s tradition carried on by each generation. At Wednesday’s graduation, there were many older siblings in uniform presenting younger brothers and sisters with their commission.

These young men and women were also probably influenced by other adult role models, teachers, coaches, neighbors, clergy — people who shared with them their values and love of country.

As I watched the cadets walk across the stage, each embarking upon a new and honorable career, I was reminded that there is absolutely nothing wrong with our nation. These bright and talented young men and women made their choice precisely because of everything that is right about our nation.

So this Memorial Day weekend, as we honor and pay tribute to those who felt the same way, and sacrificed their own lives to protect and defend this country, I offer the following suggestion to those who still wish to believe there is something wrong with our country:

If you cannot see by the actions of these young men and women that we’re doing something right, then there’s something wrong with you.

So do us all a favor and take the weekend off, and especially this weekend.

No one is interested in listening to you whine and complain about how bad things are — because 272 newly-commissioned ensigns just proved to the rest of us that it’s not.

Ray Hackett is The Bulletin’s editorial page editor. He has more than 25 years covering Connecticut politics. He can be reached at (860) 425-4225 or rhackett@norwichbulletin.com.